"Those are great plans," said the high priest, shaking his head, "but it is impossible to execute them. The Babylonian towers are not lasting because of their form, they overturn easily, while our edifices must endure for ages. A temple to the One God we may not raise, for he needs no food, drink, or raiment. The whole world is his dwelling-place. Where, then, is the temple which could hold him? Where is the priest who would dare to make offerings before him?"
"Well, let us build a residence for Amon-Ra," said the pharaoh.
"Yes, if it is not like the palace of King Assar, for that is an Assyrian building, and it is not proper for us Egyptians to imitate barbarians."
"I do not understand thee," interrupted Ramses, with irritation.
"Listen to me, lord," answered Sem. "Look at snails, each one of them has a different shell: one is winding, but blunt; another is winding, but pointed; a third is like a box. In the same way precisely each' people build edifices according to their blood and disposition. Be pleased also to remember that Egyptian edifices differ as much from those of Assyria as the Egyptian people differ from Assyrians. Among us the fundamental form of every building is a pointless pyramid, the most enduring form, as Egypt is the most enduring among kingdoms. With Assyrians the fundamental form is a cube, which is injured easily and is subject to destruction.
"The proud and frivolous Assyrian puts his cubes one upon another, and rears a many-storied structure under which foundations yield. The obedient and prudent Egyptian puts his truncated pyramids one behind the other. In that way nothing hangs in the air, but every part of the structure is resting on the ground. From this it comes that our buildings are broad and endure forever, while those of the Assyrians are tall and weak, like their state, which at first rises quickly, but in a couple of generations there is nothing left of it but ruins.
"The Assyrian is a noisy self-praiser, so in his buildings everything is put on the outside: columns, sculpture, pictures. While the modest Egyptian hides the most beautiful columns and carving inside the temples like a sage who conceals in his heart lofty thoughts, desires, and feelings he does not ornament his shoulders and breast with them. Among us everything beautiful is hidden; among them, everything is made to show. The Assyrian, if he could, would cut open his stomach to exhibit to the world what peculiar foods he is digesting."
"Speak speak on!" said Ramses.
"Not much remains for me to say," continued Sem. "I only wish, lord, to turn thy attention to the general form of our edifices, and those of the Assyrians. When I was in Nineveh a few years ago, I observed the Assyrian buildings towering above the earth haughtily; it seemed to me that they were raging horses which had broken from the bit and reared on their haunches, but would soon fall and perhaps break their legs in addition.
"Now try, holiness, to look from a lofty point on some Egyptian temple. What does it recall to thee? This a man prostrate on the earth and praying. The two pylons are his arms. The hall 'of columns,' or 'the heavenly chamber,' is his head, the chamber of 'divine apparition' and 'the tables of offering' are his breasts, and the secret retreat of the god is the heart of the pious Egyptian. Our temple teaches us what we should be. 'Have a hand as strong as a pylon,' it says to us, 'and arms as powerful as walls. Have in thy head reason as broad and rich as the forecourt of the temple, a soul as pure as the chamber of "apparition" and of "offering," and in thy heart have God, O Egyptian!' But the Assyrian buildings say to that people: 'Tower above nations, O Assyrian; rear thy head beyond every other! Thou wilt do nothing great here on earth, but at least Thou wilt leave many ruins.'